Angkor Hospital for Children is very proud to report the improvements
in our Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patient care outcomes over the last year.
A comparison of the activities during the first three months of 2006 versus
the first three months of this year shows continued advancement. Significantly,
even though the numbers of children requiring admission to our ICU continues
to increase, the mortality rate continues to decrease. These improvements
in patient outcomes reflect well on the commitment and dedication of the Cambodian
staff at the hospital. Moreover, we realize that such improvements would not
be possible without the generous contributions of volunteers working alongside
our staff and the wonderful donors who have mad possible up to date equipment
and supplies. Thank you!
Dengue Fever
In last months newsletter we reported that we had begun to
see an increase of children diagnosed with Dengue Fever. Surges of the disease
typically occur every few years and our fear was that 2007 would be one of
those times. Unfortunately, our prediction seems to be coming true as the
number of children arriving at the hospital with Dengue Fever continues to
increase week by week. In May, there were well over more than 100 children
needing admission to the hospital because of the disease. As with the last
epidemic a few years ago we have already started to place straw mats in the
hallway floors to accommodate the overflow.
Health Worker Training
May was another busy month for AHC functioning as a center for training
and education of Cambodian health workers. A variety of programs continued
throughout the month and each day an average of 20-30 doctors and nurses from
throughout the country attended some type of program hosted at AHC. This month
more than 40 Cambodian health workers attended the WHO-promoted Integrated
Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI) sessions hosted by AHC, 11 government
doctors and nurses working at rural Referral Hospitals continued with a Basic
Pediatric Care course, 6 nurses from local Health Centers participated in
part three of a three part training program, and more than 30 participants
from the Ministry participated in a Preceptor Training Program focused on
improving the capacity of Cambodian nursing schools.
Community First Aid Training
AHC’s First-Aid project continued to expand in May with more than
100 participants from the community joining the one-day training sessions.
In addition to parents of children admitted to the hospital, staff from the
Sofitel and Meridien Hotels, and local taxi drivers, this month the Provincial
Police Department sent workers for training.
AHC is proud to announce a new partnership with the University
Of British Columbia (UBC) Faculty of Dentistry. Under the agreement, UBC will
send senior dental residents twice a year to work alongside our Cambodian
dental staff in caring for children as well as providing the staff valuable
education and training.
